It’s widely known that the right smell could invoke cherished memories, bringing back strong emotions or a moment lost to time, triggered by a familiar scent or a long-forgotten one.
Even despite my withering sense of smell due to years of sinusitis, even a whiff of vanilla is bound to bring a smile to my face, or saffron and cardamom bringing back childhood memories of my mum’s cooking.
And so it makes sense why one Vanessa Chong has dedicated her life and career to the scents.
Old roots
Since birth, Vanessa has been surrounded by the delights of good scents.
Started by her dad in 1983, the family business Foo Kwai Heong had its humble beginnings in Ipoh as an OEM incense manufaturer, before becoming a top manufacturer in Southeast Asia.
Despite the brand’s status, Vanessa said she was never pressured into joining the family business, instead spending time abroad, especially in New Zealand, where she lived for five years as a permanent resident.
“It all sort of clicked when I worked in duty-free retail in New Zealand, selling perfumes. That’s where my love for fragrance truly grew,” said Vanessa.
“I was living my own life there, but when my brother passed away during the MCO period in 2020, I made the decision to come back and help my dad with the business. That’s when I really went deep to study the fragrance and incense world more seriously,” she added.
And indeed, since those early days, Vanessa has been helping to take it to the next level, modernising the business by building a social media presence and their branding, bringing in more automation, and overall improving efficiency.
She has also been helping out with another family business, S W Aroma, a fragrance distribution business aimed at bringing high-quality, raw fragrance materials, mainly from France, to the local market.
A family business since 2007, the B2B venture continued to grow as Vanessa took over as CEO, offering IFRA-compliant (International Fragrance Association) fragrance ingredients to personal care, home care, air care, and scented incense OEMs in Malaysia.
Making her own way
“Franoe, my other venture, came about from a personal passion for creating experiences around scent. I was really interested in how scent can influence moods and emotions, and I wanted to bring that to others through workshops and impactful events.”
Established in 2020, Franoe provides customers with an expansive range of natural essential oils with the goal of promoting a balanced and harmonious lifestyle.
But not just that, via retreats and workshops, Vanessa builds communities, centred around improving one’s wellness through aromatherapy.
“For Franoe, it’s all about creating wellness experiences through essential oils—aromatherapy. We do everything, from aromatherapy workshops to bigger wellness retreats and special collaborations with wellness and lifestyle brands.”
“The first events were pretty small, but as we’ve grown, we’ve added more layers to our events, bringing in sound healing, scent-blending workshops, wine yoga, floating sound bath, and all sorts of interactive and creative elements.”
Their latest retreat, a two-day, one-night getaway in Bentong, featured activities like a group yoga session, mandala art therapy, and of course, an essential oil workshop where participants learned about the safe use of essential oils and were given the opportunity to create their own specialised blends.
And although this retreat was no light expense for participants at RM788, the slew of complementary therapies may just make it worth it, if that’s your thing of course.
Big dreams
Vanessa claims that although competition is strong right now, her business’s future is promising, with all three companies doing financially well.
For the family businesses, Vanessa hopes to keep expanding their distributor network, bringing in new clients and expanding their market share both locally and across Southeast Asia.
“My vision is to make our incense a household name, ensuring consistent quality while reaching more customers who appreciate both traditional and modern incense, turning it into a lifestyle product.”
“For Franoe, however, my vision is for it to grow into a well-known name in the wellness industry, recognised for its unique retreats and holistic experiences. By offering workshops and wellness retreats in 4-star and above hotels, we get people to experience scent in a way they might never have before while building a collaborative wellness community.”
Featured Image Credit: Franoe
